Group wants to turn Anderson swamp into greenway

Anderson University official Dean Woods points out details of the proposed Rocky River greenway for Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn, left, and County Council member Tom Allen.

Kirk Brown/Independent Mail

ANDERSON - Members of a nonprofit group who want to turn 400 acres of unused swampland into a valuable recreational venue shared their plans Friday with Anderson County leaders.

The Rocky River Conservancy, which was formed last year, envisions the creation of a greenway that would have walking, biking and equine trails, as well as canoeing and kayaking. The group also would like to eventually create an environmental educational facility that would cater to schoolchildren throughout the county.

Juan Brown, a retired physician who is part of the Rocky River Conservancy, said the group has identified three key landowners whose property could serve as the building blocks for the proposed greenway.

Two of these landowners — Anderson University and a local resident who has property along the Rocky River — have already expressed support for the group's plans.

So on Friday the group presented its pitch to Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn and County Council member Tom Allen.

The Rocky River Conversancy is specifically eyeing a pair of county-owned parcels for the proposed greenway, including 26 acres near the Riverside/Toxaway mill site and about eight acres around a nearby train trestle. Although the group is not seeking any financial contributions, it would like the county to grant a conservation easement or some other form of permission to use these parcels as part of the greenway.

After reviewing their plans for the greenway, Brown and other members of the Rocky River Conservancy led Dunn and Allen on a tour of land that Anderson University owns by the waterway.

Dean Woods, vice president of institutional advancement at Anderson University, said part of its 125-acre tract near the Rocky River already is being used as an outdoor classroom. The land was donated to the university in 2008 by John and Marie Pracht.

Citing the popularity of the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, Woods said the proposed Rocky River greenway could serve as a "huge economic development opportunity for our community."

Burriss Nelson, the county's economic development director, was equally upbeat. He said the proposed Rocky River improvements would transform the area along U.S. 29 into an attractive gateway entrance to Anderson.

Though they did not make any firm commitments, Dunn and Allen also had a positive reaction.